# penalty

Pronunciation: US say "PEN-uhl-tee" /ˈpɛnəlti/; UK

## Noun

1. A punishment imposed for failing to follow required rules of procedure, such as missing a deadline or skipping a mandated step.
   - Simple: A punishment you get for breaking the rules about how something must be done.
   - _The court imposed a penalty on the firm for missing the disclosure deadline._
   - _Debate teams receive a penalty for exceeding their allotted speaking time._
2. A punishment for breaking the rules during a game, often requiring the offending player to leave play for a specified period of time.
   - Simple: In sports, a punishment for breaking a rule, often making a player sit out for a set time.
   - _The referee called a penalty for high-sticking late in the second period._
   - _Their power play scored twice while the opposing defenseman served his penalty._
3. A direct free kick at goal taken from a marked spot twelve yards out, awarded when the defending team commits a foul inside its own area; a penalty kick.
   - Simple: In soccer, a free kick at the goal from a special spot, given after a foul near the goal.
   - _The striker buried the penalty low into the corner, sending the keeper the wrong way._
   - _After a video review confirmed the handball, the referee awarded a penalty._
4. A disadvantage or unwelcome consequence that follows naturally from an earlier action or event.
   - Simple: A bad result that follows from something you did or that happened before.
   - _Chronic fatigue is one penalty of working two jobs for years on end._
   - _The city is now paying the penalty for decades of deferred maintenance._
5. A punishment imposed by law or by a court for a crime or offense, such as a fine or a term of imprisonment.
   - Simple: A punishment that a court gives to someone who broke the law.
   - _The judge handed down the maximum penalty allowed under state law._
   - _Lawmakers voted to increase penalties for repeat drunk-driving offenses._
6. A payment forfeited when funds are withdrawn early from an account or investment, such as a certificate of deposit or a retirement plan.
   - Simple: Money you must pay or give up because you took your savings out too early.
   - _Cashing in the certificate of deposit early triggered a penalty of three months' interest._
   - _Many retirement accounts impose a ten percent penalty on withdrawals taken before retirement age._

## Origin

It comes from Middle French 'pénalité', from 'pénal', from Latin 'poenālis', which derives from 'poena': a borrowing of Ancient Greek 'ποινή' (poinḗ), traced back through Proto-Hellenic to Proto-Indo-European roots.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/penalty (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).